Onto a new brewery for me. A little Yorkshire brewery I had not previously heard of but I was excited to try this beer when I found it. Ilkley Brewery is situated in the Yorkshire town of the same name and began it's life in 1873 as the Ilkley Brewery and Aerated Beverage company. They also imported wines and spirits, however, they were eventually bought by Hammonds Bradford Brewing Company, and then that was purchased by Bass Brewery. The original location was then closed in 1920. Nearly 100 years later in 2009 the brewery was reborn. The waters of the area have been revered since Roman times and the new brewery uses this pure water and all natural ingredients to brew the freshest beer.I'm sold... Onto the tasting.Pours a deep opaque brown with an off tan head made of small bubbles. Aroma is chocolate extract, and a little overpowering. First sip is chocolate and bell pepper, followed by an astringent kick. Then the taste starts to heat up and get smoky. Finish is smoky heat.Aeration brings the dark malt forward and bumps the heat up a bit. Throat dries and stings a little from the peppers, and lips get prickly heat on them. The chocolate is buried in the middle and you have to look for it.Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional Cost: 5/6 PASSColour: 5/6 PASSBeer Style: 4/6 PASSRe-Order: 3/6 SO-SOExperience: 4/6 PASSChristmas Spirit 4/6 PASSFinal Thoughts:Sadly, another beer that sounded much better than it turned out to be. It is an "okay" beer, but nothing to get excited about. I loved the chipotle in it but it did not play well with the chocolate and completely masked the malt.Cheers And Beery ChristmasCJTFollow me on Twitter: @pintjockeyLike me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online